Author: booksformks

Classic Book Review: A Little Princess

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A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

A Little Princess
by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Tasha Tudor (illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars
Little Sara Crewe is wealthy heiress, and she is treated like a princess at Miss Minchin’s boarding school for girls. Her father loses all his money and dies abroad, so Sara is forced to work as a servant. But she never stops behaving like a noble princess with kindness and generosity to everyone.

I always love rereading this book. Sara has such a gentle personality, and she’s so intelligent and adorable. I love how imaginative she is and how she is always making up stories and living inside her head. She has a marvelous intuition about people around her, and she can see through their facades right to their heart.

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Classic NonFiction Review: The Life of Charlotte Bronte

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The Life of Charlotte Bronte by Elizabeth Gaskell

The Life of Charlotte Bronte
by Elizabeth Gaskell, Alan Shelston
5 out of 5 stars

Charlotte Bronte was truly an extraordinary individual. This biography written by her friend Elizabeth Gaskell is a powerful history of the tragic life the Bronte sisters led. Their strong personalities and steady faith drew them closer together, and provided the genius for their incredible writing.

I loved reading about the eccentric Bronte family, and the close relationships between the siblings. Their isolated home among the moors of Yorkshire inspired similar vigorous settings for many of their books. It was interesting to see how their personal experiences led to fictional creations like the terrible Lowood School in ‘Jane Eyre’ or the awful governess situation in ‘Agnes Grey’. There are many parallels from their real lives to their writing.

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Puzzle Review: Let The Sun Shine In

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Let the Sun Shine In 1,000-Piece Puzzle by Irene Smit

Let the Sun Shine In 1,000-Piece Puzzle
by Irene Smit, Astrid van der Hulst, Editors of Flow Magazine, Anisa Makhoul (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars
This 1,000-piece puzzle is beautifully designed and thoughtfully crafted. The puzzle comes with a little 9″x6″ poster of the art, so that you can use it as a little poster, put the art in a frame, or use it to help you complete the puzzle. I was especially impressed to see that the backs of the puzzle pieces also have a little repetitive design of some blue flowers. It’s delightful to see little details like that which make this puzzle really special and show the exceptional craftmanship and careful thought that went into the design and manufacture of the product.

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Calendar Review: Brave, Wild, and True

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Wild, Brave, and True Calendar 2021

by Cheryl Strayed, Workman Publishing

5 out of 5 stars

I really like the designs in this calendar. The colors are bright and cheerful, and the artwork includes random shapes and lines that are appealing to the eye. The quotes from author Cheryl Strayed are uplifting and thoughtful.
I feel like I would be inspired to reach my goals and be more mindful in 2021 with these encouraging quotes to look at every day.

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Picture Book Review: I Believe In You!

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I Believe in You by Sabrina Moyle

I Believe in You
by Sabrina Moyle (Goodreads Author), Eunice Moyle (Illustrations)
5 out of 5 stars

A unicorn helps a young dragon who wants to learn to fly. First they try a superhero cape, then a rocket ship, and finally a big bunch of balloons tied to the dragon to help him fly. All through their experiments with flying, the unicorn is supportive. The unicorn listens and encourages the dragon every step of the way.

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Craft Book Review: Kids Book of Paper Love

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The Kids' Book of Paper Love by Editors of Flow Magazine

The Kids’ Book of Paper Love: Write. Craft. Play. Share.
by Editors of Flow Magazine
5 out of 5 stars

This amazing craft book has writing paper, scrapbook paper, stickers, bookmarks, cards, envelopes, postcards, decorative stamps, photo booth props, and cutouts you can paste and use elsewhere for dozens of creative projects. There are little paper dolls and 3D houses you can assemble. The book is full of games and activities. There are even little journal books you can remove for your own notes!

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Nonfiction Book Review: Space Maps

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Space Maps by Lara Albanese

Space Maps
by Lara Albanese
3 out of 5 stars

This book has amazing maps of star constellations, our solar system, planets, galaxies, and comets. There is a wealth of information about gravity, dwarf planets, black holes, the moon, and spacecraft. I especially liked reading the history about how ancient cultures viewed the stars and the folklore and mythology that grew up around certain constellations.

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Picture Book Review: Paris Cat

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Paris Cat by Dianne Hofmeyr

Paris Cat
by Dianne Hofmeyr
1 out of 5 stars

Paris Cat is born in a dirty alleyway where her cat relations eat fish bones. She runs into a dressmaker’s shop to get out of the rain, and begins sewing her own wardrobe from the fabric scraps. She visits a theater and dances onstage with Josephine Baker (who is a famous erotic dancer from history known for her skimpy costumes) and Chiquita the leopard. Eventually, she opens her own dancing club and cafe where her cat family and friends can benefit from her fabulous fashion creations and jazz music.

The reason for my low rating is the inclusion of Josephine Baker in this book in her skimpy costume. Paris Cat joins Josephine onstage for some erotic dancing in very revealing clothing.

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Picture Book Review: Teaching Mrs. Muddle

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Teaching Mrs. Muddle by Sheryl McFarlane

Teaching Mrs. Muddle
by Sheryl McFarlane, Alice Carter (Illustrations)
5 out of 5 stars

Kayla is anxious on her first day of kindergarten, but she quickly forgets her nerves when she has to help her teacher, Mrs. Muddle. The teacher gives everyone the wrong name tags, and the students have to figure out everyone’s names to give the right name tag to their classmates. Mrs. Muddle can’t find the gym, and takes the students to the library instead. Kayla was worried about getting lost, but discovers she can easily find her way around school when she has to step in to help Mrs. Muddle. At the end of the school day, the children have spent their whole class time teaching Mrs. Muddle, but they have learned more than they realize.

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Picture Book Review: Kindness Grows

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Kindness Grows by Britta Teckentrup

Kindness Grows: A Peek-through Picture Book
by Britta Teckentrup (Goodreads Author)
5 out of 5 stars

This book teaches the reader that mean words and arguments cause a crack to form between friends, but kind words and working together makes a tree of friendship grow. Thoughtlessness and selfishness only tear people apart, but forgiving and smiling at one another results in a happy atmosphere of support.

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